All Things in Good Time
by Arafel
Summary: Eduardo and Kylie pick the wrong Friday night to study in Ghostbusters HQ. Egon Janine fluff. Rated for innuendo and some naughtiness.


Hanging out at work on a fine non-school evening wasn't Eduardo Rivera's idea of fun. Especially in the great city of New York, Fridays were for slacking off, for checking out the new club down the street, for hanging out with friends and playing pickup games of soccer in the park.

None of which he was going to be doing any time soon, given his after-class job as a Ghostbuster and current GPA. The good professor Spengler was lenient enough to consider said after-school job for credit in lieu of essay questions and reading chapter four by Monday, but his other professors weren't as forgiving. So, instead of heading into SoHo from the Canal Street subway stop, here he was, on his way to the Ghostbusters' HQ for some time well-spent hitting the books before the December exams started.

As Eduardo approached the firehouse after rounding the corner from West Broad onto Moore Street, he saw another, familiar figure approaching from Varick to the north, quick and purposeful. Female, black hair, light complexion, short stature could only be one person. "Hey, Kylie, is that you?" he called out.

"Eduardo." She paused and looked in his direction, pale face standing out in the dim yellow streetlight. She didn't sound happy to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he returned. "It's Friday night - don't you have a séance to star in, or something?"

Kylie shot him a dirty look. "Egon has the best occult library in the city, maybe in the world. I was coming in to do some research for class. You know, that place where you go to learn things."

"Hey, I got exams next week, same as you. I came here to study, because it's quiet here and my apartment isn't." Eduardo tried the door to the firehouse. "That's weird. This door isn't usually locked."

"It's not usually ten o'clock on a Friday when we're checking in, either," Kylie reminded him. She rummaged in her bag, pushing books and papers around. "Oh, damn. Don't tell me I don't have the key with me."

Eduardo held up his keychain, the Ghostbusters logo on the fob twinkling in the streetlight. "Then it's a good thing you ran into me, isn't it? Otherwise, it'd be a long trip home for you."

"Don't be smug." Kylie paced back and forth on the sidewalk while her fellow Ghostbuster fumbled with the lock. "Hurry up, it's chilly out here."

"Give me a break," he replied, crossly. "I'm working on it. My fingers are cold."

Kylie stopped on the corner and peered down a side street. "Eduardo, did Janine drive in today?"

"How should I know?" he said, unlocking and opening the door. "Does it matter?"

"I could swear that's her Civic parked on the street." She shrugged and hitched her bag back up onto her shoulder. "I guess there are a lot of '93 hatchbacks in New York."

Inside, the only light on was over Janine's desk, and the firehouse was deserted. Eduardo scratched his head. "Yo. Kylie. Where's the spud? Slimer is always here when someone walks in, especially if he thinks Garrett's got food."

"How should I know?" she mimicked, hands on her hips. "Go study, brainiac. I'm going down to the library." Kylie swung her coat off her shoulders and walked to the back of the firehouse to hang it up. Eduardo rolled his eyes and muttered something about creepy goth chicks with an attitude before starting for the second floor.

He was halfway to the stairs when a sudden harsh whisper stopped him in his tracks. "Eduardo. Come here."

"What is it now?" Annoyed, Eduardo glanced over at Kylie. "Ghosts in the closet?"

"No. And keep your voice down." Kylie held up a garment. "This is Janine's coat. I'm sure of it." She turned around, slowly. "Her blazer is on her chair, too. What's she still doing here? Her hours are eight to five, and she doesn't tend to stay late on the weekends."

Eduardo shrugged. "Maybe she bulldozed Egon into going out to dinner with her, and they're not back yet. It would explain why Slimer isn't here. Probably hanging around looking for a handout."

"Yeah, but then her coat wouldn't be in the closet, it'd be on her, genius," Kylie said. "It's not summertime out there."

"You think maybe she's in trouble or something?" Eduardo advanced stealthily up the stairs. "Anyone who messes with Janine will have the professor on his ass, for sure. He's kinda protective of his office manager when he thinks no one's looking."

"I've noticed that." Kylie tugged off her boots and padded behind him in her socks. "More so lately. I wonder..."

"Wonder what?" Eduardo asked, skulking around the dining room table. He peered under the table and then stuck his head into the kitchen. "Nothing out of place here," he said, scratching his goatee. "Still no green goblin, but I'm taking that as a positive."

"I'm starting to get the feeling that we shouldn't be here," Kylie murmured. She picked her way up the stairs, peering around the corner into the common room. The faint melody of a brilliant soprano aria drifted from the direction of the stereo, and one nearby light was turned on, illuminating a glass perched on the edge of the coffee table.

She cocked an ear, listening. "That sounds like La Bohème. It's one of Egon's favorites."

"How do you know this stuff?" Eduardo stood next to her, arms crossed.

"_Some_ of us have culture. My Grandma Rose liked opera, especially Puccini, so I know all his works. And if you ever paid any attention, you'd know that Egon is an opera aficionado."

"Afishi-what?"

Kylie sighed, exasperated. "It means he really likes it and knows a lot about it. This particular opera is considered to be very romantic."

"Romantic, huh?" Eduardo wandered into the common area and idly examined the blanket chest. "That's a word that doesn't go with Bill Nye the Science Guy here."

"You have no appreciation for brilliance," Kylie said. "Anyway, it looks like Egon was relaxing on a Friday with a drink, same as anyone else. He's probably gone to bed by now."

"Relaxing with _two_ glasses?" Eduardo showed Kylie a second glass, the remnants of red wine still swirling in the bowl. "He's not exactly the type to be double-fisting it."

"No, he's not." Kylie surveyed the sofa. "This is strange. It almost looks like someone left in a hurry." She picked up a discarded pillow, then thought the better of it and put it back on the floor. "Wait a minute. Look, it's Janine's hair clip. It was here on the floor."

"You can put it with her shoes." Eduardo nodded towards the discarded pumps, which were scattered on the floor in a clear trail toward the spiral staircase that led to the third floor. Their combined gaze followed the path upward, where a dark shape lay huddled on one of the risers. They looked at one another, suspicious.

"Hey, Kylie." Eduardo kept his voice as low as he could. "There's something on the stairs over there. Can you make it out?"

"No." The two of them tiptoed closer, hyperaware of every tiny creak of the old floorboards. Above them, a familiar blue sweater was caught in the spiral staircase, one sleeve draped over the rail. Kylie clapped her hand over her mouth and blushed visibly in the low light.

"Now I know we shouldn't be around," she groaned. "Eduardo, you're definitely not studying here tonight."

"Why not?" Eduardo peered upstairs into the darkness. "What do you think is going on up there?"

"Nothing that shouldn't have happened a long time ago. Oh, jeez, I hope they didn't hear us." Kylie grabbed Eduardo's arm and yanked. "Are you dense? We have to leave!"

"What are you talking about? I have an exam!" He pulled back, and stopped dead in his tracks as a moan echoed down from upstairs. "That was... not a ghost."

"No."

"And Egon and Janine are..."

Kylie rolled her eyes. "Yes, you idiot."

Eduardo stared up the spiral staircase in horrified fascination. "He's loud."

"He's repressed."

"Not tonight he isn't." Eduardo put his hands over his ears. "Aw man, I'd have to come here the one night Egon gets lucky."

"I think it's more Janine that got lucky." Kylie grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. "Move it, you pervert. We're going."

"Oh yeah?" Eduardo grinned, letting Kylie drag him away. "And _where_ are 'we' going?"

Kylie gritted her teeth. "Anywhere that will get you out of this firehouse!"

"You don't have to tell me twice," Eduardo said, almost falling down the steps. "It sounded like things were getting... intense."

"I do not need that mental image, thank you." Kylie collected her boots and hurriedly tugged them on, fumbling with the laces. "Damn. I was really hoping to get that reference."

"When's the paper due?" Eduardo asked, stuffing his books as quietly as possible into his locker. "Soon? Depending on how um, 'nifty,' Egon is feeling, you might not wanna come back this weekend, unless we get a call."

"Two weeks," she replied. Eduardo rubbed his eyes.

"Okay, so. Not due for a while, and you said you'd go anywhere that would get me out of this firehouse. I have just the thing."

"I did not say that," Kylie spat back, indignantly.

Eduardo was enjoying himself. "Yes, you did, and it's good to get out on a Friday night, go people-watching, and listen to some music. We're going salsa dancing," he said.

Kylie stared at him, bemused. "I'm sorry, what was that exactly?"

"It's easy, and you might actually have fun, cut loose a little. Or is it standard for goth chicks to sit around with candles and bad poetry instead?"

"You really are a jerk sometimes, Eduardo." She stalked over to the closet and yanked out her coat. "If you want to go out and do something, you could start by not insulting me."

Contritely, Eduardo offered Kylie her bag. "Sorry. No more 'goth chick' jokes, I promise. So, are you gonna let me show you some merengue? Do you like reggaetón?"

"Sure, whatever." She dropped her head into her hands. "I can't believe I'm letting you rope me into this."

"Aw, come on, you'll have a good time. I'll introduce you to some of my friends, they're always asking about the Ghostbusters. They're almost as good-looking as me."

Kylie snorted in derision. "That's not hard."

Eduardo pretended to be offended. "Now who's being not-so-nice? I guess we're even."

"Guess so." She looked back towards the stairs and gave Eduardo a half-smile. "It sounds stupid, but I'm happy for them, you know? I get the feeling this was a long time coming."

"Let's hope it's not a short time, or Janine's gonna be pissed. Ow!" he yelped, as Kylie punched him in the arm. "What was that for?"

"You're being disgusting." Kylie's face was the picture of outrage, but it looked like she was trying to hide a laugh.

"He's a scientist. He might be into... experimentation." Eduardo waggled his fingers suggestively.

"Eduardo!" Now she _was_ trying not to giggle, and failing.

"Amazing, she _can_ smile." Eduardo grandly held the firehouse door open for Kylie, and she stepped through, still sputtering.

On her way out, Kylie turned around and gave Eduardo a hard stare. "I just want you to know," she informed him, "that this is _not_ a date." She turned north towards SoHo, slowly disappearing into the bustling New York night.

Eduardo glanced up at the third floor, dark but (he was sure) not silent, and chuckled. "All things in good time," he said to the night air, and followed.

--_fin_--

* * *

_A/N: Thanks to keelieinblack and Jaina for the read-over!_

_Concrit and reviews are greatly appreciated!_

_email the author: crawlybug at gmail dot com_


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